Light Bearers
by valathe
Summary: Modern AU. Anna is a dutiful mother and wife in a stable, but boring marriage. Her life becomes decidedly more interesting after a chance encounter with a mysterious blonde woman that makes Anna question many things about herself and the way of life she is used to. Rated M for later chapters, more info in the A/N. Elsanna (no incest)
1. Prologue-Intro

When Hans finally opened the door to their apartment, he already knew he had screwed up. "Honey, I'm home." he yelled, still hopeful that she wouldn't be too angry. He received no answer. That was bad. Very bad. When he entered the kitchen, his wife was sitting at the table, a half-empty bottle of wine standing next to her. '_I dun fucked up now_'.

Anna shot him a terrifying glance. "One night. That's all I ask. One night a week. Sophie is with her aunt, and I want to spend one night a week with my husband, in peace and quiet."

Hans nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I know, honey, and I'm truly sorry, but we finally managed to seal this really important deal with Hong Kong, and the clients wanted to celebrate..."

Anna rudely cut him off. "I don't care if it's the fucking Queen of England, this is OUR night! We both agreed to this! I work my ass off trying to hold this family together, and this is my reward? You go drinking with some fucking suits from halfway around the world?"

Her accusation made him defensive. "They're not just 'some suits', they're the future of the company! If this deal didn't work out I'd have lost my job, along with everybody else. So excuse me for wanting to celebrate being able to continue to support my family! What important work did you do today, anyway?" He regretted the words as soon as he said them, but he couldn't take them back.

Anna's face turned crimson. "What did I...you didn't just say that. Do you have ANY idea how much work it is to keep a preschooler in check, to manage the household while dodging almost daily visits by your fucking nuisance of a mother, and that seven days a week? Do you even have the tiniest inkling of that? Of course you don't." She stared at him for a few moments. "You know what, fuck it." She went to the door and put on her shoes. "Wait, please, talk to me. Where are you going?" - "Celebrating." she spat, slamming the door shut.

* * *

><p>Anna was fuming. She knew that just slamming the door into Hans' face had been childish, that she was basically just running away from the confrontation. She understood the pressure he had to endure at his job. But how offhanded he had dismissed her work for the family simply hurt too much. The smart thing would have been to simply turn around, go back to the apartment and talk about everything, like rational adults. But rationality be damned, she was still incredibly angry. So instead, she just entered the first bar she encountered, sat down at the counter and ordered a beer.<p>

It was a dingy, rundown establishment, but the heavy, authentic atmosphere made it quite endearing, not considering the patrons. Most of them were quite grim-looking people, many brandishing tattoos and sleeveless leather jackets, and she felt incredibly out of place in her light summer dress. Nevertheless, she had already ordered her beer, and she was determined to let Hans stew for a while, giving him ample opportunity to think up an apology.

The barkeep served her beer, and asked"Trouble at home?" Anna, not having expected the question, took a moment to realize it was directed at her. She eyed him for a moment. He was an incredibly fat man, and completely bald. It looked like every single hair had moved from his head to his face, because his beard was well on its way down his belly. Something about him made her open up, maybe his honest looking eyes, or maybe just because he asked a complete stranger about their day.

"Yeah." She took a sip from her beer. "How'd you know?"

He gave a smile. "You just don't strike me as the kind of person to wander into my bar and order a beer." He leaned in to her. "You also don't strike me as the kind of person who has a lot of experience dealing with my usual customers. If anybody gives you any grief, just give a holler.", finishing his sentence with a friendly wink.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.", she answered, smiling at him.

For a while she sat there, silent and sullen, occasionally taking a sip, lost in her gloomy thoughts. Soon she ordered another beer, then another, and another. With every passing hour she got more talkative, merrily chatting away with the gruff-looking barkeep. She learned quite a lot about him. His name was Andrew, and he had opened the bar over two decades ago, which surprised Anna since it was the first time she ever noticed it. Most of his regulars were members of a certain gang of bikers, the 'Light Bearers', and he was often associated with them; but he never officially affiliated himself with them to avoid trouble with rival gangs. He also pointed out to Anna that on this particular evening, she was the only person in the bar who was not a member of the Light Bearers, her dress and lively auburn hair making her stick out like a sore thumb.

Usually, his patrons knew to behave, and he was very strict about enforcing his rules. He said he didn't need a bouncer, if someone started trouble he loved to deal with them himself. Soon enough, Anna could see that first hand. It started innocently enough with two young gentlemen who were loudly singing along to the jukebox. Eventually, however, they somehow got into a heated argument, and soon fists replaced words.

Andrew was just telling Anna about the last time the police had raided his bar and had to leave empty-handed again, when a loud crash diverted his attention. When he found the source of the commotion he almost spat on the floor. "Watch and learn, lass. I'm gonna teach those hotshots how to behave." He moved surprisingly fast for a man of his size, and after a quick scuffle he had them both incapacitated, and moved to throw them out.

While Anna was distracted, someone suddenly rested their hand on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around to see a tall, bearded man, wearing a bandana and brandishing a crooked smile that missed a few teeth. "Now what brings you here today, girl? How about I show you my 'ride'?" She felt immensely uncomfortable and just wanted to back up and leave.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

The stranger wouldn't let up. "Come on, sweetheart, don't play hard to get." He started coming closer to her, close enough that she could distinctly smell what he had drunken that night. She wanted to get up and get away from the man when she noticed a second person approaching her from behind. She was legitimately scared now, and about to scream for help, when she suddenly heard a female voice: "Back off, punk. She's obviously not interested."

The man stared at the other woman angrily. "Oh fuck off, bitch. You can't call dibs on every chick that stumbles into here!"

The woman now moved between Anna and her unbidden acquaintance, a full head of gorgeous platinum-blonde hair.

"Wanna go outside and resolve this one on one?" Her voice was thick with contempt.

To Anna's immense surprise, her challenge curbed the man's enthusiasm quite a bit, and he left muttering some rather crass insults under his breath. Finally, her savior turned around to face her, and what Anna saw took her breath away.

Before her stood the most gorgeous person she had ever laid eyes upon. Her golden locks where styled into a thick braid resting on her left shoulder, but a side cut on her right side gave her a rather savage look. Her skin was almost as pale as milk, only with the slightest hints of freckles on her cheeks, few and far in between. And those eyes! Gleaming with compassion and concern, Anna could have spent hours looking into those eyes, exploring their depths, savoring their astonishing color. Movement diverted her attention, and she found herself marveling at the lips of the stranger. Full, ruby-red lips, inviting thoughts that made her question her faith to her husband. Those lips were formed into a shy smile now, and ever so slowly rational thoughts fought their way to the top of Anna's paralyzed consciousness.

_'Those lips were moving before. Was she talking? She was talking to me! Shit! And I just stared at her face like some creep. I'm still staring. What did she say? Oh no no no, I've fucked up now!'_

The turmoil must have been plain on her face, because the stranger was laughing now, a high, lighthearted laugh that almost made Anna's heart melt.

"Are you always this adorable?"

It took Anna a few moments to process the question, spending far too much time marveling at the angelic sound of the strangers voice, and only slowly deciphering what she had actually said. When she finally understood it made her blush so much her face almost matched her hair color.

"I uh...I'm sorry I didn't...kinda...pay attention earlier, I was just stunned by how beautiful you are and then I was embarrassed for not paying attention to what you said and now you must hate me because I'm so unfriendly while you saved me from that weird dude and oh god I'm rambling like a swooning fangirl..."

She was interrupted by the blonde chuckling and laying a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, gingersnap. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. And you should stop pumping so much blood to your head if you don't fancy having a stroke."

Anna became uncomfortably aware of her blush and quickly tried to grab her beer, but instead managed to knock it over and spill it all over the other woman.

"Shit! Sorry! Oh no, I'm so, so sorry!" Anna quickly grabbed a napkin and started wiping down the stranger's shirt, but stopped when the blonde burst out laughing. Anna shot her a questioning look.

"I'm usually on a first-name basis with people who fondle my breasts."

Anna froze in mid-motion. She tried to apologize but only managed to utter an incoherent mumble of vowels, eliciting even more laughter from the blonde.

"It's quite alright." she finally said, extending her hand. "I'm Elsa."

Anna slowly reached for Elsa's hand and shook it.

"I'm Elsa..uh Anna! You're Elsa!" She slapped her forehead with her free hand. "I mean I'm Anna and you must think I'm a bubbling high-school sophomore."

Elsa gave a heartfelt smile. "I don't mind you bubbling, but you're starting to tire out my arm."

Anna, suddenly realizing that she was still shaking Elsa's hand, unceremoniously let go and, after absentmindedly tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, focused all of her attention on their shoes, especially Elsa's threadbare combat boots.

"Yeah, I should clean them again.", Elsa said after a few moments of silence. Anna's gaze shot up, afraid of having offended the blonde again, but she met friendly ice-blue eyes accompanied with a smile.

"I didn't mean to imply..." Anna sighed. She had no idea why this woman was making her behave like a giggly 14-year-old. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go die now of embarrassment."

Elsa chuckled. "Go ahead, I'd love to perform CPR on you."

_'Is she flirting with me? What the actual fuck?'_

She felt really uncomfortable but at the same time was incredibly flattered that such a gorgeous woman would flirt with her. Still, she wanted to steer the conversation into another direction.

"I uh...thanks I guess but...um...you don't have anything to drink! I'll buy you a drink."

Elsa smiled. "Thanks, but I don't drink and drive, and I don't fancy taking a cab tonight."

Anna fidgeted with the hem of her dress, anxious to find another conversation topic. There was an awkward silence, until Elsa spoke up again.

"I have to ask, what _does_ bring you here? You look awfully out of place, you know."

"Well." Anna begun, unsure if she should tell her the reason for her impromptu bar visit. "Truth is, I had a fight with my husband." Elsa's eyes slightly narrowed at the word 'husband', but she immediately regained control of her face. Anna, completely oblivious, prattled on. "You see, Friday is supposed to be our night. Our daughter is at her aunt's, I cleaned the house, made a nice dinner, dressed up for it. I mean, I even shaved my legs for crying out loud. And then he went out with a few guys from work, came home late...and one word led to another, and I stormed out, and now I'm sitting here spilling my guts to a complete, gorgeous stranger." Anna sighed.

Elsa looked at her with a smirk. "Gorgeous, huh?"

Anna looked up with wide eyes. "I didn't mean to...well, I did mean because you _are_ gorgeous but I just wanted to say that you're, well...I have no idea what to say anymore. I think I need another drink."

"I hope you don't intend to spill it all over me again, just so you can feel me up."

Anna blushed again. "Oh no, no that wasn't intentional." Her fumbling around made Elsa smile. "I...I'll pay for the dry-cleaning! Ye! Here, let me just give you my number, and you get in touch." She handed a shred of paper with her hastily scribbled-on phone number over to Elsa, who took it with a wide grin.

Anna was about to order another drink from Andrew, who had returned to the bar a while ago, when her eyes fell on the clock hanging behind the counter. She frowned. "Andrew, is that clock right?"

He turned around to look at it. "That one? To the minute, lass."

"Oh shit.", Anna gasped. "2AM?! I need to get home!" She had a panicked expression on her face. "How much do I owe you, Andrew?"

He shrugged. "It's on the house for you, don't worry about it."

Anna blushed, for the umpteenth time that evening. "No, I can't accept that. Please, what do I owe you?"

He had a determined look on his face. "Just see to it that you get home safely. This ain't a good part of town at such a time. If you're so adamant about paying your tab, just come again some time."

Elsa suddenly spoke up. "I can drive you home. It would be no trouble." After considering for a moment, she added: "You'd just need a helmet."

* * *

><p>After some to and fro Anna was walking behind Elsa toward her motorcycle, a sleek and very fast looking thing. She saw a big 'S' on the tank, but had no idea what make and model it was.<p>

"I wouldn't have expected you to have such a motorcycle.", Anna said.

"Such a motorcycle?", came Elsa's reply, and Anna could almost hear her raised eyebrow.

"Well, I thought all you biker types used to drive around on these really loud and bulky things, Harley Davidson and such."

Elsa laughed. "Well, I do own a Harley, a 1981 XLS Roadster. Used to be my dad's. But I need to restore it again, and I generally prefer Japanese bikes. This," she affectionately patted the tank of her vehicle, "is a 2006 Suzuki Bandit GSF1200. Had this baby imported from the UK since they didn't sell it over here. Zero to sixty in under five seconds."

There was a moment of silence until she resolutely put on her helmet and got onto her bike. "Anyway," she said with a muffled voice, "where to?"

"Do you know the Chick-fil-A on East Northwest Highway? It's basically across the street from there."

"Upper East Side, huh.", Elsa replied. "Well, just hold on tight, we'll be there in no time."

Anna put on the helmet that Andrew had lent her, telling her to just bring it back whenever she had the time. She would never have expected the man to be this nice and welcoming, towards a complete stranger no less. And Elsa too had been nothing but great to her.

During the drive, Anna realized she must have been more angry with Hans than she thought, because the bar was several miles away from her home, and she couldn't even remember walking all the distance in the first place.

True to her word, however, they arrived at Anna's house just some five minutes later, though Elsa had been driving at breakneck speeds. It almost seemed to Anna as if Elsa had wanted to show off, but the idea seemed silly. Still, the adrenaline was coursing through her body and she was a little shaky on the legs.

"Thanks", she muttered, pulling the helmet off. She was pretty sure her auburn hair was a complete mess, because Elsa had trouble staying on her bike, laughing.

After calming down a bit, she said: "Alright gingersnap, now hush hush into bed. I'll give you a call about this whole 'dry cleaning' business." A genial smile accompanied her words.

Anna smiled as well. "Thank you for the nice evening, and for the ride home. We should do this again some time."

"We will.", Elsa said with a wink before putting on her helmet again. "See you around. Bye."

Anna waved goodbye before Elsa sped off into the night. She frowned. '_Did I just set up a date with a woman? Did I just set up a date with someone that's not my husband?! What is happening to me?_'

She sighed and turned around to enter the stairwell to her apartment, bracing herself for what would await her inside.

* * *

><p><strong>Heeeeeey first chapter and stuff. Yeah. I hope you'll enjoy the ride (see what I did there? Anybody? No? I'll just show myself out then)<strong>

**so, this is a rather serious fic, but there'll be plenty of fluff and just a little bit of soul searching in the early chapters...i think. Maybe some smut, but I haven't decided yet. The M rating is there for later chapters that will involve references to domestic violence, sexual abuse and violent crime. So if any of these things are triggering to you, you've been warned.**

**Not sure about the update schedule i'll have here, since it's more of a side project, but i'll try to publish at least once a week.**

**And as always, reviews, feedback and suggestions are always welcome. I seriously do take the time to read and respond to every review and PM.**

**Thanks people**

**peace out**


	2. Brunch

Slowly opening her eyes, she immediately slammed them shut again as a jolt of pain went through her skull. 'Fuck. No alcohol, like ever again.' she let out a groan and shifted her weight. Her limbs felt like they were made of solid logs.

The door slowly opened, and Hans appeared, carrying a tray. "Look who's back amongst the living.", he said, with a smile. He put the tray down next to her on the bed, and she was thankful to see the box of aspirin on it.

"I thought you could use a little power breakfast."

She smiled at him meekly and popped two pills in her mouth, downing them with orange juice. She felt better already, and after taking a small bite of french toast she almost believed she could get through this hangover. That was until a little something burst through the door, yelling "Mommie's awake! Mommie's awake!"

She flinched as her headache made a vicious comeback.

"Now, now, sweetie, what did I tell you?", Hans said gently as he picked her up.

Sophie looked at him quizzically, until her face lighted up. "You said mommy didn't feel good."

"That's right, sweetie, mommy doesn't feel so good. Why don't you go watch some cartoons until mommy feels better and comes to play with you?", he said as he put her back down again.

She skipped to the door, when she suddenly turned around. "Do you need to go to the doctor, mommy?", worry plain on her face.

Anna had the biggest smile she could muster under the circumstances. "No, pumpkin, I just need to rest a bit. Now off you go."

Hans gently shooed her out of the room. He hesitated for a bit, then closed the door and gingerly sat down on the bed.

"Listen, about yesterday. I want to apologize. I really behaved like a dick, and I said things I didn't mean." He sighed, and was about to continue talking when Anna cut him off.

"No, I should apologize. I mean, what you said really hurt, but I shouldn't have stormed off like that. It was childish."

They sat in silence for a little, until Hans spoke up again, rubbing his neck. "Now, I actually had a reason for staying out this late. I know I should've called, but still. My boss was also out with us, and I had been talking to him for a while, and finally got him to agree yesterday. I thought about cutting down my hours in the office so I can be home more, help you around the house and be a bigger part of Sophie's life. But I also know that it's hard for you being cooped up in the house all the time, and I though that maybe, if you want, you could get back into your old job? I know how much you loved it, and I could do my part looking after things at home. I already talked to Mrs. Fishburn at the museum, and she said they'd love to have you back! All you need is call them and they'd welcome you with open arms."

Anna looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding me?!"

Hans got wide eyes. "Well, it's only if you want, of course! I don't mean to imply that you should work or anything, really, I just thought you'd like to..."

He was interrupted by Anna lunging forward and hugging him tightly. "I'd love that! You would seriously do that for me?"

Hans put his arms around her. "Of course! I love you.", smiling at her affectionately.

She opened her mouth to reply with 'I love you, too.', but something stopped her. Did she still love him? She wasn't sure, and that shocked her to her very core.

She let her head hang. "I don't know. Recently you've been so...distant. Always working overtime, if it wasn't for our Fridays we barely did anything together anymore. I just... I feel so bad now."

Hans put his hand under her chin and lifted her head up, pressing a small kiss on her lips. "Don't. I'm sorry I was so busy with work, I put in all the extra hours to get on Mr. Hofstaedt's good side. I thought about this for a while now."

She really didn't expect that from him. It made her feel horrible, the constant nagging, the cold stares, and all just because he wanted to do something for her. But she had felt so neglected, utterly left alone. At one point she even suspected him of having an affair.

"It's alright, honey. I probably should have included you from the start, I just didn't want to get your hopes up if it didn't work out."

She blushed a little. She was still an open book to her husband.

It was an awkward situation, and she felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I need to take a shower.", she mumbled, getting up and heading for the bathroom, leaving a befuddled Hans sitting alone on the bed.

* * *

><p>Turning the handle, she sighed in content as hot water started streaming over her body. She relaxed an just let her mind wander. She scrubbed down her body and lathered her hair with nice-smelling shampoo on autopilot, thoughts going wherever they wanted to.<p>

Inevitably, though, they returned to her husband. It troubled her deeply that she felt so...uncertain. Somehow, routine had crept into her life, and it seemed like it had slowly pushed her feelings for Hans aside. She was still fond of him, felt safe and welcome around him, enjoyed his gentle caresses when the cuddled up on the sofa watching TV. She felt content with him. But was that enough?

She mulled over different scenarios in her head, imagined dozens of conversations, some loving and affectionate, some heated arguments. Being content in a marriage wasn't too shabby. Hans provided for her with a stable job, was loving and considerate, and absolutely amazing with Sophie. She could definitely imagine growing old with him, seeing their baby girl grow up. Going though rebellious teenage years before going to college and settling down with someone herself. The thought gave her a sense of security and reassurance.

And what would be the alternative? Getting a divorce if things didn't work out? She immediately thought about Sophie, how it would impact her life. She remembered her own childhood then, how it was obvious that her parents had only stayed together for her sake. Even when she was only eight years old she could tell something was amiss, and in her teens she loathed herself for inflicting this on her parents.

But raising her daughter as a single mom? It would be very difficult, and doubly so because Sophie had such a good relationship with her father. She winced at the thought of Sophie hating her because she took her dad away from her. So was this really an option?

She realized her mind was going in circles, and softly leaned her head against the cool tiles in the shower. Suddenly, the day that awaited her, the routine of preparing lunch, somehow making up an excuse not to talk to her mother-in-law, the same old idle conversations with her husband; the prospect of it all made her incredibly weary. Yesterday evening had been exciting, and she felt like she needed a little excitement.

Before she had even processed what was happening her hand trailed down her belly and in between her thighs. She closed her eyes and bit her lip while slowly slipping a finger inside. A moan escaped her lips, the thrill of pleasuring herself sending shivers all over her body despite the hot water streaming down around her. Her mind went into overdrive, imagining it was someone else's hand caressing her. She pictured turning around and seeing...platinum blonde hair and blue eyes?

_'What the...'_

Her eyes snapped open and she stumbled backwards, almost slipping on the slick floor of the shower. She panted heavily, feeling hot and cold at the same time.

_'What was that about? What the actual fuck?! This isn't right, no no no this is very wrong.'_

To make matters worse the hot water suddenly stopped. She let out a blood-curdling shriek at the sudden assault of cold on her body, fumbling about to turn off the tap. She heard Hans move up to the the bathroom door.

"Is everything alright in there?" He sounded worried.

Anna stepped out of the shower and quickly wrapped herself up in a towel.

"The blasted water heater is acting up again! I thought you had that thing fixed?"

Hans chuckled. "You've been in the shower for almost an hour, honey. Don't blame it on the tech when you lose track of time and use up all the hot water."

Almost an hour? Anna knew how easily distracted she was, but this was unprecedented. She just stood there, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. Hans also noted her strange silence.

"Are you sure everything's alright in there?"

Anna snapped out of it. "I'm fine, just drying myself off. I'll be out in a minute."

The rest of the day was a haze. No matter what she was doing she zoned out every few minutes. As a result they ordered pizza while trying to ignore the smell of burnt pasta wafting in from the kitchen. After lunch Hans asked her again if she was feeling alright, but her answer that she was still a little hungover seemed to satisfy him, although he still shot her worrying glances throughout the day.

* * *

><p>The next week was one of giddy anticipation for Anna. First thing Monday morning she had called Mrs. Fishburn and asked about having her old posting back, and sure enough her old and new boss was positively delighted. They agreed that, for now, Anna would work ten hours a week, to slowly ease back into the job, and maybe increase the hours at a later point if she felt up to it. Hans cut his hours back accordingly, and Anna couldn't wait for her first shift to start on Thursday morning.<p>

The high point of her week came unexpectedly on Friday, though, in the form of a text from a number Anna didn't recognize. The message itself made Anna almost swoon.

_hey gingersnap. don't think i've forgotten about you offering dry-cleaning. how about we meet for brunch on sunday, at spiral diner?_

After saving the number, she immediately texted back.

_Anna: i'd love to! what time do you have in mind?_

_Elsa: i thought 10:30. is that alright with you? do you know the address?_

_Anna: sure thing, and yeah i know the place. looking forward to it! ;)_

It had been the beginning of her lunch break at the museum, and when Elsa didn't text back Anna started fussing about her replies. _'Shit, that wink smiley was totally uncalled for. I definitely creeped her out. I can already see it coming, '"On second thought, I forgot I already have plans with great-aunt Irma." great job on scaring her off, dork.'_

She realized how incredibly stupid her inner monologue sounded, and tried, without success, to hold back a giggle, which solicited glares and scrutinizing glances from colleagues and visitors alike. She quickly retreated to the staff room to eat the sandwich she had packed that morning. Her hour-long break was almost up when her phone buzzed again.

_Elsa: sry for not responding earlier, had to deal with an obstinate customer. really looking forward to it, too. see you on sunday! :-)_

* * *

><p>It had been quite some time since Anna had last worried so much about what to wear. She definitely wanted to impress Elsa, but at the same time didn't want to look like she was trying too hard. In the end she settled for a par of washed-out blue jeans and a white shirt with black, half-long sleeves. It featured a print of a black duckling with 'björk' written underneath, her favorite shirt by her favorite singer.<p>

Hans had been apprehensive of the idea of Anna having brunch with someone she met at a bar, but visibly relaxed when his wife mentioned it was a 'she' she'd be meeting with. He smiled as she explained to him one last time how to turn on the oven to heat up leftover meatloaf, before gently shooing her out the door.

"Enjoy your brunch with your mystery friend!", he called after her as she sauntered to the car with a skip in her step, completely ignoring the steady drizzle coming down. She turned around and waved.

Anna arrived a few minutes early and quickly sat down at a table, waiting for Elsa to arrive. A waiter came and Anna explained she was waiting for someone. It was already 10:45 and Anna was starting to worry when a beat-up looking Ford station wagon pulled into the parking lot. To her immense surprise, Elsa hopped out of the vehicle and made for the door. She quickly spotted the beaming redhead and moved over to Anna.

"Hi there, gingersnap. Sorry about the delay, car trouble.", she said with an apologetic smile. She moved to take off her jacket while Anna gave a dismissal nod with her head, not noticing how the blonde briefly flinched when she moved her left arm behind her torso.

"Don't worry about it," Anna said while Elsa sat down, "though I have to say I'm a bit surprised by your _ride_." She gave a mischievous wink at the last word.

Elsa rolled her eyes but smiled, before she replied. "Well, I'm not riding my bike in the rain. I'd like to live past forty." She raised an eyebrow when she saw the print on Anna's shirt. "Björk, huh? Wouldn't have guessed you liked that kind of music."

It was the perfect conversation starter. Anna just gushed on and on about how gorgeous her voice was, and how the Homogenic album had been an almost surreal, eye-(or rather ear-)opening experience for her. Elsa smiled and nodded at the monologue, enjoying the sight of those over-expressive eyes lighting up with glee.

"Wow, here I am rambling on and on about my favorite singer when probably don't even like her, I'm sorry I'll stop now."

Elsa chuckled and, with a simple gesture diverted Anna's attention to a tattoo on her right forearm, which Anna immediately recognized.

"No way!", she said, examining the motif that looked like an eye with several clefs coming out of it. "I would never have guessed you like her, too! I thought you were more a black-death-evil-metal type."

Elsa laughed out loud at the remark, throwing her head back. The sound was music to Anna's ears.

"Black-death-evil-metal? Well, I do listen to some of that, but a tough girl can have a sensitive side too, can't she?", Elsa said with a coy look.

Anna swallowed hard at the almost sensual look Elsa was sending in her direction and was about to descend into another flustered ramble when the waiter appeared again, saving her from embarrassing herself.

"What would you like to drink, ladies?", he asked. Elsa ordered a soda with lemon while Anna settled for a peach iced tea. "Do you know what you want to eat?"

Anna shot Elsa a questioning gaze. "Well, I haven't eaten here before, anything you can recommend?"

Elsa smiled and said: "I wholeheartedly recommend the Hot Hummus Wrap. Think of a burrito, but with delicious Hummus instead of meat." Anna signaled for the waiter to bring her what Elsa had mentioned, while Elsa herself ordered a Mitch Tofu Club sandwich.

Anna raised an eyebrow at Elsa's order and recommendation. "I didn't know this was a vegetarian restaurant."

Elsa smiled sheepishly "Yeah, I tried going vegetarian a few years ago, but you know, the spirit is willing...anyway, the food here is still incredibly delicious and I come here as often as possible."

They chatted about all sorts of things ("You have two dogs _and_ some exotic animals? You gotta show them to me some time!"..."How old is your daughter?"..."I just love how wear your hair in that braid, it looks so good. Seriously. And that sidecut makes you look so daring and mysterious.") until their meals arrived, and Anna found that she had to agree with Elsa, the food was fit for a king! They both ordered dessert smoothies, chocolate banana for Anna and chocolate strawberry for Elsa, despite both being quite full already. But it seemed that, like with so many other things, they shared an unhealthy addiction to chocolate.

Even after finishing their desserts they basically squatted the booth for another two hours, telling jokes and sharing stories and anecdotes. It was uncanny to Anna how well they had connected in such a short time, almost like Elsa was just an old friend she hadn't seen in a while. Just as Anna recounted how sweet and considerate her daughter had been last Saturday morning, Elsa got a call.

"Hold on a sec, gotta take this."

She held the phone to her ear, face going to a pout. "Are you sure you can't stay a little longer?...No, of course, I understand...Yeah, I'll be home in about half an hour."

Anna frowned at the last sentence, eliciting an apologetic look from Elsa.

"Sorry," she said after hanging up, "my dogsitter had something come up, I need to head home."

"Dogsitter?"

"Yeah, Nero has been with me for only three weeks and gets scared when I leave him alone for more than a few hours. I'm really sorry about cutting this short, I had a lot of fun!"

Anna smiled. "Me too, I really enjoyed our little brunch. Although it's 2 PM by now.", she added with a laugh after checking the time on her phone.

"Yeah, time flies", Elsa responded. They asked for the check, and when Elsa reached for it Anna quickly snatched it up.

"The tab's on me.", she said, quickly adding "Let's call it even with the dry-cleaning business." when Elsa opened her mouth to protest.

She relented at that, and replied with a small smirk: "Crap, now I have to think of another reason to lure you to brunch."

Anna blushed at the compliment. "Any reason is good enough if we have so much fun like today."

Elsa smiled and, with a sigh, stood up and put on her jacket. Anna also gathered her belongings, mainly her phone, and stood up, stretching herself after the hours of sitting down. In the process, her shirt wandered above her pant line and revealed a glimpse of her toned stomach, enough to make Elsa blush furiously and avert her gaze. Thankfully, Anna remained completely oblivious.

The rain had stopped, fortunately, and they both stepped outside, unsure how to continue.

"Well," Anna said, fidgeting her hands, "I guess this is goodbye then."

"Yeah." Elsa replied with a wistful sigh, when her eyes brightened up with a spark. "Actually..."

Anna looked up at the tone in Elsa's voice, meeting her gaze.

"How would you feel about meeting my dogs?"

Anna's face lit up. "Really? I'd _love_ to!"

Elsa smiled and motioned to her car. "Well then, hop in."

* * *

><p><strong>alright, chapter two is here, and only with a teeny tiny delay (mea culpa)<strong>

**hope you like it. I put a link up in my bio, showing a picture of the shirt anna is wearing, and of the tattoo on elsa's forearm. I'll put links to pictures of her other tattoos up, too, if there are any available (most of them will be motifs I though up myself, tho, so no pics)**

**before you ask: yes, i've totally stolen the gingersnap nickname from celerysticks. it _is_ such a cute nickname, i can't help it**

**and as always, all reviews/feedback/criticism/suggestions welcome!**

**Peace out**


	3. Emperors

They had driven for half an hour, almost to the second, before Elsa pulled into a driveway. To Anna's surprise it wasn't a rundown apartment building where Elsa lived, but rather a small, albeit lovely-looking house, somewhere in the blurred border between the suburbs and the city proper. The front lawn was sparse, with no decorations of any kind, but well-kept nonetheless. It all deepened the slowly unraveling mystery that was Elsa's personality.

"Well, here we are.", Elsa said with a shy smile. It was obvious to Anna that Elsa had left her comfort zone. They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, before Elsa unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed open her door. Anna did the same.

They walked up to the front door, but Elsa hesitated.

"I feel like I need to prepare you. I have no idea how you are around dogs, and mine can be quite a handful." She chuckled. Anna smiled, hoping Elsa understood the 'go on' she tried to convey.

"Now, Nero is very shy, you probably won't even see him around. Uni, on the other hand, is hyperactive and can be a bit overwhelming. Don't let yourself be intimidated by her looks, she is the sweetest being once she gets to know you."

Anna pondered that weird comment for a bit. '_Intimidated by her looks? What's that supposed to mean?'_

At that thought, Elsa stepped into the hallway and was almost knocked to the ground in a flurry of brown fur. She laughed, open-hearted, and went down on her knees to pull the dog into a tight embrace.

"Momma missed you too, baby, momma missed you too." She animatedly stroked down the dog, who licked her face and wagged her tail wildly, knocking into furniture. Anna caught movement at the other end of the hallway and turned her head just in time to see a low tail vanish through a door.

Elsa chuckled. "I told you, Nero is shy. He'll come around eventually."

Anna returned her attention to Uni who was now looking at her with a measuring glance, tail slightly lowered. Her posture signaled a guarded curiosity, like she was trying to determine if this stranger was a threat to her mistress. Anna noticed how her face slightly hung down on one side of her skull, and the slew of scars all over it. Elsa recognized the questioning look on her face.

"She was abused for dog-fighting, and once she was rescued nobody wanted to adopt her. What with her looking so menacing, and not being cute and small." She smiled wistfully. "But we clicked immediately. I didn't even need to see any other dog at the pound. She's been with me for five years now."

Anna slowly extended an open palm toward the dog, who sniffed at it. Elsa scooted over and softly scratched her behind her ear.

"Uni, this is Anna. She's a friend of mine, so be nice to her. Okay?"

As if she had understood, her tail started wagging again, and she gave Anna's hand a lick. Elsa smiled. "She likes you."

Anna smiled too, slowly moving her hand to scratch the dog behind the ear like Elsa had done moments before.

"She is gorgeous. What race is she?"

"American Stafford, with a bit of pitbull in the mix."

Anna knelt down now, too, and brought her face close to Uni's. "I have a feeling we'll be very good friends, you and I.", she said in a high-pitched voice. Uni just glanced at Elsa confusedly, then turned around and trotted down the hallway. Elsa giggled. "You won't be friends if you do that baby-voice again. She hates that."

Anna gave a sheepish smile and got to her feet again.

"Well then," Elsa said, "how about I give you a tour of the place? Not that there's much to see anyway, but still..." Her voice trailed off.

Anna nodded silently and pulled off her shoes after seeing Elsa do the same.

"Closet and bathroom," Elsa said, pointing to two doors next to each other, "and that's the living room."

They entered the spacious room and Anna couldn't hide her surprise. It was quite different from how she had imagined Elsa's place to be. Basically every wall was covered with a full bookcase, and even more books lay strewn around the room, on the coffee table and an old looking desk. It was messy, but not in a way she had anticipated. Elsa blushed slightly, noticing Anna's probing glance.

"I would have cleaned up if I'd known I'd bring you with me today."

Anna chuckled. "It's quite alright. I don't like that whole cleaning-up-when-someone's-coming-over-business. This feels more honest." She hoped her smile reassured Elsa, and it did. The blonde relaxed visibly.

"Anyway," she said after a brief pause, "back there's the kitchen and dining area, over there is the spare bedroom that I've re-purposed for my more exotic pets. Upstairs is just my bedroom and the 'study'." She rolled her eyes at the last word. Anna raised a questioning eyebrow.

"That's what my dad called it. He spent hours in there when he wasn't out and about." Elsa sighed.

Anna had the urge to inquire further about her father, but felt like she shouldn't pry. Luckily for her, Elsa continued on her own. "I inherited this house, and his bike, when he died, ten years ago."

A tense silence settled over the two, and Anna felt uncomfortable about having Elsa relive obviously painful memories. She had no idea what to say, though, so she just glanced about the room, idly scanning the shelves for books she recognized. Her eyes widened when she spotted a series of worn-looking books. "You have _Commentarii de Bello Gallico_ and _Commentatorium libri tres de bello civili_? In _Latin_?!"

Elsa gave a sheepish smile, unsure how to read Anna's sudden outburst. "Uh...yes?"

Anna frowned. "I hated reading those in college. I'd never been good in Latin, and my professor refused to let us read a translation. In my major, no less!"

Elsa chuckled. "I actually enjoy reading them, although I haven't in quite some time. What on earth did you major in that requires this kind of reading?"

Anna huffed playfully. "History, obviously. I _did _mention I work at a museum."

"Which museum? I assumed it would be the Perot Museum."

Anna frowned. "Ugh, no. Science and I never got along in school. It's the Dallas Holocaust Museum. History had always been my guilty pleasure."

Elsa brightened up at her words. "Mine too! Ever since I was little I was entranced by classical antiquity. The greco-roman world was just so different, and yet so similar to ours." Her enthusiasm dampened a little. "I would never have imagined you work at the Holocaust Museum, though. How do you do that?"

Anna was lost. "Do what?"

Elsa looked her straight in the eye. "You're so bubbly and positive and full of energy. I just think...I don't know. If I worked there it would really get to me over, time."

Anna pondered that for a bit. "Well, it does, actually. But I try to always take something positive away, like how my work there goes a little ways towards preventing something as horrible as that from ever happening again. It keeps me grounded in reality. Sometimes I tend to forget that the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows."

Elsa fell silent at her words, lost in her thoughts. Anna could see that Elsa would never think of the world as just sunshine and rainbows, and wondered what had happened to dampen the spirits of such a beautiful, caring person. The silence became thick and uncomfortable, Elsa zoned out and Anna at a loss for words again.

Thankfully, a soft whine from the door leading to the kitchen pulled Elsa out of her stupor. She turned around and looked at the dog standing in the doorway, shyly looking at the stranger lingering in the room.

"Come here, Nero.", Elsa said softly. He didn't move an inch, only his ears pricked up at the sound of her voice. Elsa giggled.

"I told you he's shy. Wait here, I'll go and calm him down a bit."

Unsure what to do, Anna plopped down on the couch and grabbed the nearest book lying around. Hemingway's _For Whom the Bell Tolls_. The paperback was worn, it was obvious this book had been read over and over again, the bookmark sticking out near the end indicated that Elsa was in the process of finishing it. Anna felt a lump form in her throat. She remembered the book well, it being another required read in her history class. She had hated it at the time, the depictions of violence and betrayal going completely against her good-hearted nature. Ultimately, however, her opinion changed. After some heated discussions in class she understood that this kind of violence was part of this world, and simply ignoring it did nothing to prevent it. This realization was one of her main motivators for applying to her current job when she did.

Her musings were cut short when Elsa poked her head out of the door and called for her.

"Anna, come over here. I think he's ready for you now."

She got up and walked up to the kitchen door, where Elsa offered her a dog treat with a wink. Anna smiled and instinctively hunched down to appear smaller and less threatening.

"Come here, Nero. I've got something for you.", she called out while sticking out her hand with the treat. The dog in question, a german shepherd not quite fully grown, eyed her warily before taking a tentative step towards her. It was then Anna realized he only had three legs, just a short stump remained of his front right limb. Her eyes went wide with concern and she understood why he was so shy.

Ever so slowly he hobbled towards her, stopping just a few inches from her outstretched hand, ready to retreat should anything unexpected happen. He glanced at Elsa, who smiled and inclined her head toward Anna. Finally, he took the last few steps and, after briefly sniffing at the treat, gobbled it down and retreated back beneath the kitchen table.

"He likes you too.", Elsa said, still smiling.

Anna got up and had a serious look. "What happened to him?"

Elsa glanced back at Nero who was now peeking out underneath the table, watching their exchange intently.

"About five weeks ago I found him lying on the sidewalk, obviously abandoned, and with a big gash on his leg. I immediately took him to the vet, but it was already badly infected and had to be amputated. When he was ready to leave the vet I took him in since he had no place to go."

She sighed. "Seems I have a thing for cripples and broken things. Initially I was worried on how Uni was going to behave around him since german shepherds are the one race that always makes her go ballistic, still from her fighting days I reckon. But it took her all of ten minutes to establish who was the boss among them. They've been inseparable since."

As if on cue Uni walked into the kitchen like she owned the place, making directly for the table and bumping Nero gently with her head. Anna smiled at the sight.

Elsa chuckled. "We'll have to wait for the next ordinary assembly, but it's safe to assume you'll have three out of three votes in favor of allowing you to stay."

"Look at that, a democracy. Given your fascination with Julius Caesar I assumed this household would be more of a republican dictatorship."

Elsa smiled. "Well, there are times when I have to assume the role of dictator, especially if someone poops in the hallway right after coming back from a walk." She glared at Nero, who pointedly looked away. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, mister."

Anna sniggered. "That's why I'm more of a cat person."

"Don't mention the c-word near Uni.", Elsa said with a grin, "She's not overly fond of them. Anyway, now that you've been introduced to my two babies, how about I show you the rest of my menagerie?"

Anna smiled brightly at her. "Yes, please!"

They walked over to the bedroom-turned-zoo, and Anna was hit with a wave of humidity, a smell of earth and constant, muffled chirping.

"Let's start with the most harmless."

Elsa led them over to a small terrarium where a bearded dragon was sitting on a stone, basking in the glow of a heat lamp.

"That's Archimedes, a central bearded dragon, or pogona vitticeps. He's just basking under the heat lamp, but usually he hangs out in the water bowl all day, for whatever reason. Hence the name." She looked around the terrarium, searching for something. "He also has a little friend, an eastern bearded dragon named Eureka, but it seems like she's not very social today."

Anna giggled at the names of the animals, while Elsa lifted the grate of the cage.

"Let's see if we can't coax her out of her hidey-hole with a snack." She opened the top drawer of the cabinet the terrarium was resting on, and the muffled chirping became very loud. Anna watched intently as Elsa pulled out a plastic box with several small crickets inside, opened the lid and put two of the insects in front of what she assumed to be the burrow Eureka was hiding in.

After a few minutes of waiting, and of Archimedes sneaking up and snatching one of the crickets, Elsa changed the water in the bowl and closed the lid again. "Looks like she doesn't want to play", she said with a little smile.

"Now, how about something more exiting?" Elsa moved across the room, to a larger terrarium. In it were two large and rather menacing looking scorpions, and Anna gulped hard upon seeing their big pincers. Elsa noticed and chuckled.

"Don't worry about those two, they're the sweetest things ever. Emperor scorpions, both of them. Augustus," she pointed to one half-hidden underneath some hollow bark, "and Constantine.", pointing to the other scorpion parading up and down in front of the glass.

Anna grinned. "Oh I get, emperor scorpions, named after emperors. Very clever."

While Anna watched them intently Elsa flipped a switch, and suddenly both scorpions glowed in a bright blue-green hue. Anna jerked back.

"What the...how did that happen?!"

Elsa laughed, delighted at Anna's reaction. "Fluorescence.", Elsa explained, pointing to a dimly glowing black light at the top of the lid. "Scorpions glow under UV wavelengths. They get brighter with each moult, so aside from the size it can help with determining the age of a specimen."

Anna leaned back in to watch the scorpions more closely, and Elsa put on a mischievous smirk. She leaned in two, quite close to Anna's head, and whispered: "Wanna hold one?"

"Hold one...me? I, uhm...well, aren't they like...venomous or something?"

"Not particularly.", Elsa replied. "As a rule of thumb, the bigger the pincers of a scorpion, the less potent its venom is. Emperors are completely harmless, unless you're allergic. Just like with bees or wasps."

Anna was silent, obviously arguing in her mind whether or not she should try it. Without waiting for a response, Elsa reached into the terrarium and expertly scooped one of the scorpions, the bigger one, up into her hand. Anna's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Come on, don't chicken out here", Elsa said with a smile, extending the hand holding the scorpion. Anna took a deep breath and slowly reached out with her own hand, palm up. When they touched, Elsa softly nudged the scorpion to get it to move over to Anna's slightly shaking hand. When she felt the weight of the animal Anna held her breath.

Elsa giggled at Anna's terrified expression. "Relax, he's quite content just sitting there. See how the tail is just hanging down and to the side? That means he's calm and feels safe." She turned around and grabbed a spray bottle, carefully misting the substrate in the tank. Anna was completely oblivious to anything but the scorpion sitting on her hand, completely impassive. She didn't know how much time had passed when Elsa scooped the animal back into her hand, to place it back with it's friend.

Anna shuddered and rubbed her hand. "That was, like, a _crazy_ trust exercise."

Elsa smiled. "Yeah, you're right. For all I knew you could have freaked out and dropped him, or something equally stupid."

Anna blinked a few times. _'Wait, is she serious?'_

As if she had read her thoughts, Elsa said: "Yes, I'm serious." Her face took on a stern expression. "I value nothing more than the animals that are in my care. They trust me to do my level best to keep them safe and comfortable, and I take that trust very seriously. Very few people are allowed in here, and you're the first person that's ever held one of my emperors, other than me."

That surprised Anna. "Really? I'm the first?"

Elsa blushed and her face softened. "Yeah, um, why do you ask?"

"Well, we've only spent the better part of like six hours together, so that seems like a giant leap of faith to me."

Elsa blushed even more, and after a brief silence muttered "I just have a good feeling about you."

Anna smiled brightly at that. She also had a very good feeling about Elsa.

The blonde clumsily turned around and closed the lid on the terrarium again, turning off the black light and covering the whole thing with a large black cloth.

"Why do you do that?", Anna asked.

"Do what?", Elsa replied. "The cloth?"

Anna nodded.

"Well, emperors prefer a light-dark-cycle with a longer dark than light phase, since they're nocturnal. Too much light will stress them out. So in the afternoon I put the cloth over the tank, and remove it in the morning after getting up."

Anna watched Elsa with a new-found admiration. "You really do care a lot about them."

"Yeah. They're my family." Elsa smiled, but her eyes were full of sadness. Anna was compelled to reach out to the blonde, to embrace her and help her through the obvious emotional pain she was suffering, but she felt unsure. Just five minutes ago she had pointed out how briefly they knew each other, yet she already felt a strange connection to this woman.

She was yanked out of the chaos that was her thoughts when Elsa chuckled and said: "Well, as with any family, there are some members you don't really get a long with. I have one last critter to show you, and she's a mean bitch." She moved to another glass cage that was full of foliage and had a good ten inches of substrate.

"I present Medusa, a fitting name since she has the 'friendly' disposition of your typical gorgon."

Anna leaned in close again, but failed to spot any animal, though a hint of webbing on the entrance of a hole in the back of the tank gave her a good idea of the occupant.

"Let me lure her out real quick.", Elsa said, picking up a pair of long tongs and using them to tap slightly at the entrance of the burrow. Almost immediately, the creature shot out and, realizing there was no prey but a large offensive object, made a threatening gesture.

Anna yelped at the sight of the nightmarish animal. It was a huge black spider, currently raising its two front pairs of legs and displaying obscenely long fangs.

Elsa giggled at the redheads reaction. "Yes, a Sydney funnel web. A female, no less, they're quite territorial. On the second day I had her she almost got me while I changed the water in her bowl, and that would have been _bad_. The most dangerous animal I've handled so far." Her tone carried a distinct undertone of respect.

After getting over her initial shock Anna was quite intrigued. Any creature that had even Elsa on her toes was a force to be reckoned with.

"Let's see if she's hungry." Elsa retrieved a box that was filled with squirming mealworms. Anna scrunched up her face at the sight, which Elsa gladly didn't catch. She pulled a worm out with her tongs and offered it to the spider, which immediately grabbed it and burrowed it's fangs in it, retreating into her hole.

"Where did you get all these animals? And why?"

Elsa smiled. "They're all rescues. The funnel web and emperors lived with some druggies who had no idea how to take care of them. The bearded dragons were a classical Christmas gift that became boring after a month, so they were dumped in a box on the roadside. I got them all over the wildlife rescue center I volunteered years ago, when I still had the time. I still keep in touch with the guys there and they occasionally ask me to take in animals that can't be released into the wild.

"I used to have a lot more at once, but it got to a point that is was so stressful I actually considered returning them all to the center. I cut back on it, then, but I'll never give it up completely."

She pondered for a moment, then pointed to a large, and currently empty, terrarium on the far side of the room. "Used to have a boa, too. Poor fellow escaped into the wild and was badly injured when he was brought in. He never quite recovered, but I did my best to give him a few more years. He died a few months ago. Snakes are my favorite of the bunch. They just have something about them that mesmerizes me."

Anna smiled. "So why don't you take in another snake?"

Elsa laughed at that. "I would, but at the moment the only snake at the center is a spitting cobra. They even asked me if I would like to adopt her, but they are a really trick bunch. I don't feel very comfortable around animals that can blind you from ten feet away."

Anna giggled. "And yet you have the Medusa that turns you to stone just by looking at her."

"Wouldn't that take the cake if that little bundle of hate could do that as well.", Elsa replied with a grin. "Anyway, that's all there is, really. You can head back to the living room if you want, I'll just check that everything is in place and secure. Wouldn't want to have that spider running around the house."

Anna shuddered at the thought and quickly made her way back to the living room couch, followed by Elsa just a few moments later.

As they sat down, Anna let out a sigh. "I have to say, I wouldn't have expected you to live like that."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, with a mischievous grin on her face. "Oh, what would you have expected? A dungeon in the basement, full of captive virgins to be sacrificed for a ritual summoning Cthulhu from R'lyeh?"

Anna smirked. "Someone's been reading her Lovecraft."

"Well, I can't read dusty old history tomes all the time. A girl's gotta have fun.", Elsa replied with a chuckle.

"So what else do you do for fun, besides reading about the Deep Ones?", Anna asked in a sultry tone that surprised herself even more than it surprised Elsa.

Elsa just cocked her head to the side, intently studying the redhead sitting next to her. "Wouldn't you want to know? Not that I'm telling you, you'll have to earn that information. Let's say with another brunch next week?"

Anna thought that if her smile spread any wider, her face would split in two. "I'd be delighted."

After a bit more back-and-forth banter, Anna realized with a shock that it was already well past 4 PM and announced that she should head home to spend some time with her daughter. Elsa was reluctant to see her go, but was still visibly relieved that their 'brunch' had turned out so well. She drove Anna back to the diner so she could retrieve her own car, and they parted on the reassurance that next week Anna would pick the restaurant. For the rest of the day, Anna was grinning like an idiot with a lighthearted skip in her step.

* * *

><p><strong>not much happening here, but we get a little more on Elsa's history and personality. Wouldn't it be nice if it were smooth sailing from here on out? Nah, I love making my characters miserable. Tune in next chapter for the first hint of drama (there'll be plenty of that later on, it's labeled drama for a reason, duh)<strong>

**as always, reviews/feedback/criticism/suggestions are greatly appreciated**

**peace out**


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